Why nothing opens it
Microsoft Publisher is available only for Windows. A Microsoft support answer says it "does not have a native version for macOS or iOS" and quotes Microsoft's system requirements for "Publisher and Access are available on PC only" (Microsoft Q&A, answer of November 18, 2025 by Microsoft External Staff on where Publisher is available). A university help page says the same: "At this time Microsoft does not make Microsoft Publisher for Mac" (Microsoft Publisher for Mac). There is no Publisher app for Android either, and none for Chromebooks.
So the options are a program that reads the .pub format itself, or a web page that does.
What works, device by device
| Device | In the browser with Unframe | With a program |
|---|---|---|
| Mac | Open Unframe in Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox and choose the file. Text and pictures, page by page. | LibreOffice has a Mac version. Draw opens .pub files with their layout. LibreOffice officially imports Publisher versions 98 to 2010 (Microsoft Publisher discontinued, LibreOffice Draw opens only files up to 2010 (in German)). PubHarbor, an app listed on AlternativeTo, opens .pub files on a Mac without Publisher (PubHarbor). |
| iPhone and iPad | Open Unframe in Safari, choose the file from the Files app, iCloud Drive or a mail attachment you saved. Read it, copy text, or save a Word file. | PubHarbor, an app listed on AlternativeTo, opens .pub files on iPhone and iPad without Publisher. The listing says it processes files on the device and is free for the first 3 files, with export and printing in a paid version (PubHarbor). We have not tried it. Otherwise open the file on a computer, or ask the sender for a PDF. |
| Android phone or tablet | Open Unframe in Chrome, choose the file from Downloads or Files. The same page works. | We did not find an Android app that opens .pub files. Ask the sender for a PDF if you need the look. |
| Chromebook | Open Unframe in Chrome and choose the file from the Files app. | With Linux turned on, LibreOffice Draw or Scribus can be installed from the Linux terminal (sudo apt install libreoffice or sudo apt install scribus, as Chrome Unboxed describes). Linux on a Chromebook is off by default, and Google says it may not be available on a work or school device (Set up Linux on your Chromebook). |
Google's page says setup "can take 10 minutes or more". The Chrome Unboxed article that shows the install commands is from 2020 (3 alternatives for Microsoft Publisher on your Chromebook), so check the commands against your Chromebook before relying on them.
Using Unframe on a phone or tablet
- Save the .pub file to your device first: from an email attachment, choose Save to Files (iPhone) or Download (Android).
- Open the Unframe page and choose Choose a .pub file. Your device's file picker opens; pick the file.
- Read the text page by page. Use Copy this page's text to paste it into a message or a document, or save a Word file.
The file is read in the page on your device and is not uploaded. We tested the page in desktop Chrome and Edge, including at phone width. We have not tested it on a real iPhone or an Android phone, so a very large file may be slow there.
What you will not get
On any of these devices Unframe gives the words, tables and pictures, not the layout. Fonts, colours and shapes are left behind. When you need the page as it looked, the file has to be opened by Publisher or converted to PDF on a Windows PC first: PUB to PDF: every way to do it.
Open a .pub file
Choose the file and get its text and pictures back, page by page, with a Word file to save. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Questions
Can I open a .pub file on a Mac?
Not with Publisher: there is no Mac version. LibreOffice for Mac opens .pub files with their layout, and Unframe opens them in the browser and gives the text and pictures.
Can I open a .pub file on an iPhone or Android phone?
There is no Publisher app for either. Unframe runs in the phone browser and reads the file there, giving the text and pictures. It has been tested in desktop browsers at phone width, not on a real phone.
Can a Chromebook open .pub files?
In the browser, yes, with Unframe. With Linux turned on, LibreOffice Draw can be installed too.
Sources: Microsoft Q&A, answer of November 18, 2025 by Microsoft External Staff on where Publisher is available; Western Kentucky University Technology Support: Microsoft Publisher for Mac; Chromebook Help: Set up Linux on your Chromebook; Chrome Unboxed, August 17, 2020: 3 alternatives for Microsoft Publisher on your Chromebook; Born City, October 17, 2026: Microsoft Publisher discontinued, LibreOffice Draw opens only files up to 2010 (in German); AlternativeTo: PubHarbor. Last checked: October 28, 2026. Unframe is an independent tool by Peak Apps Studio and is not affiliated with Microsoft. Microsoft and Publisher are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.